Portable rabbit-cage.



w. w. BRINDLEY.

PORTABLE RABBIT CAGE.

APPLICATION HLED AUGJI. 39H- Il.,2 37,625., Patented May28,1918.

@ 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I f U 'aZer' Brindle W. W. BRINDLEY.

PORTABLE RABBIT CAGE.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG.2I, 1917.

f Patented May 28, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' claimed, reference being to "front and "rear "WALTER WILLIAM ia-nrlvrmLiar; or: PASADENA,- CALIFORNIA.

PORTAB-LE RABBIT-CAGE.

. Specification of Letters'Patent.

mer n25.

- Application 'iiled"August 21,1917. Serial No. 187,365.

t To all whom it may concern: {Be .it known that I, 'WALTER 'WILLIAM LBRINDLEY, a subject of the'Kingof Great Britain, residing at Pasadena, inthe'county of Los 'Angeles and State of California, have inventedcertain new, and' 'usefullmiprorements vin 'Portable -Rabbit-Gages, ofwhichthe following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to theaccompanying drawingl I I This-,-invention relatesto a'portable rabbitbreediig orh'grazing cage, the object of they invention being toprovidea [device of this character embodying improved means forfraising andlowering afgra'zing cage, and for establishing communication between thecage and rabbit house, thesaiddevice being transportable ffronuplacetoplace in \a ready and convenient manner. I

. The invention consists of the features of construction, combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and had totheaccompanying drawing, in Which:- G

Figure-1 is aftop plan view of the device, with parts appearing insection.

Fig. '2 is an end elevation of the same, showing the cagelinelevated'position.

Fig. 13 is 'a central front to .rear' section, showing the cage loweredfor use. I Inthe'practical embodimentof my inventionf'I provide-aportable frame 1, preferably [of rectangular or oblong rectangular form.In the present instance I have shown a frame o'f oblong rectangularfornrprovided at'its corner portions with ground Wheels or rollcrsQ'Wvhereby it is adapted to be readily and conveniently drawn from placeto place over the surface of the ground.

The frame is. shown as comprising upper and lower longitudinal bars orrails?) mu-i4, upper andlower' end bars or rails 5 and"6, corner postsor bars 7 and end braces 8, the aforesaid parts being suitably unitedtoform frame of proper st1'engtl1,ri'gidity and dura- 'b'ility. Uprights"9 maybe provtded tocon- "n'ect the u )per and lower'sets of barsrorrails, together with a front lon itudinally extendingintermediate bar10. he upper longitudinal bars are also connected at intervals byintermediate bars 11,12, and 13 arranged;respectively, at'the center ofthe "frame between the center of the'fraine-an'd the ends thereof. Abovethe-central transverse bar ll is arrangeda supporting bar 1% supportedfrom the upper longitudinal bar by other u rights- 15,-and Which-isprovidedfora purpose hereinafter described.

'Inclosed Within said frame is a'verti'cally movable ca'ge'16,consisting of a suitable framework over which is Stretcheda coveringof'ivove'n Wire or other-j suitable-reticu- 'lated material. This cagelti' is designed'to receive and form a.- grazing inclosure' for therabbits, and is inclosed at its bottom by 'a screen of wire orother'suit'ablematerialso that when the cage is depressed ayardwill'beformed over the surface of the ground boundedbythe cage, allowing theanimals to freelyfgraze vvhile confining them-against escape. It will beunderstood that thecage may be disposed over a'plot' of grass, the'screen' lz'i' allowing the rabbitsto'eat the grass, which 'Will "beaccessible through, wh'le preventing the rabbits from burrowing out.andve'scapin'g.

The "front wall of the cage"is1provided with a suitable opening 17'forfthe entrance and exit of the animals andJsupportedl-upon 'the'lowerfront portion ofthe frame'l is a rabbit house orfinclosure 18 in f'whichthe animals are normally confined. The'hou'se *lS is g-suitably securedto the lower longitudinal'bar3 and intermediatebar 10 and adj acent barsof the frame 1, and is provided at its rear or inner-side with opening'lt) closed by 'a sliding' door 'EZOQWhieh is"'kept in ('rlosedcondition when'it is neces'sary or desired to keep the-animals confinedwithin the house, andis open ivhen the cage is de- :pressed to allowtherabbits 'to pass freely between the cageand house through the doorWays-or openings l'l an'd 19.

The rabbit house j 1S is supported b'yF-the frame at a properelevationabovethe-surface oft-he ground, "and' ispreferably provided withaslopin'g'top orroofQl'ha-ving an eaves. projectioirbeyoncl its frontwall'for "the pro'per shedding of raiielwaten "Suit able openings may beprovided in its top or roof for the introduction and removal of theanimals. and these openings are provided with removable closures At thefront of the house is arranged a longitudinally eX- tending trough, 23,projecting partially into and partially outside of the house, and whichis designed to receive water to provide a drinking trough.

It will be seen that the rabbits may be confined within the house orinclosure 18 when desired, as in the transportation of the device fromplace to place, in inclement" weather, or at such other times when it isnecessary or desirable to keep them confined, but that whenever the cage16 is lowered the opening 17 will register with the door way 19, so thatupon the opening of the door 20 free comnninication between the grazingyard formed by the cage and the house will be established. For thepurpose of raising and lowering the cage suitable raising and loweringmechanism is provided This mechanism comprises a lever 2a pivotallymounted at the upper front part of the frame 1, as indicated at 25, toswing in a vertical plane and having three branching arms 22. :27 and 28extending over upon the top of the frame above the central and endportions of the cage, said arms being connected at their inner ends bycords, cables or the like 29 with the cage, whereby when said arms areraised and lowered the cage will'be raised and lowered therewith. Theouter end or operating arm 30 of the lever extends over the rabbit house18 at the front of the device and is provided with an adjustablecounterweight 31, whereby the weight of the cage and its contents may becounterbalanced, allowing the cage to be raised with comparativelylittle effort or exertion on the part of the operator. Upon the bar 14-is provided a U-shaped catch 32 which may be engaged with the centralarm 26 of the lever to support the lever and cage in a raised position,as shown in Fig. 2, thus holding the cage supported in. its elevatedposition to permit the device to be pushed or drawn. from place to placewith ease and facility. The lever 2% may be employed as a handle ordraft implement for pushing or drawing the device. or any other suitableform of draft element may be employed for the purpose.

It will thus be seen that my invention m'ovides a portable carriage orframe which may be drawn over the grass from place to place, togetherwith a closure in which the animals may bedriven and confined while thedevice is being transported. and a closed cage which may be raised toallow the device to be transported and lowered to form a grazing cage orinclosure which is adapted to be brought into communication with thecomprising a transportable frame, an ani mal house at one side of theframe having a door way at its side facing the space bounded by theframe, a door foriclosing said door way, a closed cage movably mountedin the frame, said cage being provided with a bottom of open workmaterial,

and having a passage way adapted to register with the door way of theanimal house when the cage is lowered, and means for raising andlowering the cage, said means being adapted to normally counterbalancethe weight of the cage.

2. A device of the character described comprising an open worktransportable frame, an animal house at one sideof the frame having adoorway at its side facing the.

spacebounded by the frame, a door for closing said door way a closedcage movably mounted in the frame, said cage being inclosed at itsbottom with a wire or other screen and provided with a passage wayadapted to register with the door way of the animal house when the cageis lowered, a pivotally mounted lever upon the frame for raising andlowering the cage, and counterweight means upon said lever forcounterbalancing the weightof the cage.

3. A device of the character described comprising an open work wheeledtransportable frame. an animal house at. the front of the frame andprovided with a door way at its side facingvthe space bounded by theframe. a door for closing said door way, an inclosed cage mounted forvertical movement within the frame,

said cage beingprovided with a screen at its base. and having a passageat its front for communication with the door way when the cage is inlowered position, a lever pivotally mounted at the front of the frameand having an operating end extending beyond theframe and provided witha central arm and side arms extending inwardly above the central and endportions of the cage. connections between said arms and the saidportions of the cage. and means upon the frame for engagementwith one ofsaid arms to support the cage in an elevated position.

4. A device of the character described comprising a transportable frame,an animal house at one side of the frame having door way at its sidefacing the space bounded by the frame, a door for closing said door way,a closed cage movably mounted in the frame, said cage having an openwork bottom of screen material and provided with a passage way adaptedto register with the door Way of the animal house when the cage islowered, a lever mechanism for raising and lowering the Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the cage, andmeans associated therewith for 10 WALTER WILLIAM BB-INDLEY.

WVitnesses W. W. BENEDICT,

H. G. SIMPSON.

Commissioner of latents.

Washington, D. C."

